The present invention is addressed to a method for reducing the fat content in a cooked ground meat patty or the like which keeps the patty hot and juicy, and is effective in killing bacteria and other microorganisms which might contaminate the patty and make it unfit for human consumption.
It has been recommended by many medical groups and the like that people restrict their intake of dietary fat, and especially of saturated fats, as a means of reducing their overall levels of serum cholesterol and, concomitantly, of their risk of heat disease. To reduce the consumption of dietary fat, it has been suggested that people substitute red meat products, which have been demonstrated to have a high percentage of saturated fats, with poultry or fish products which are relatively lower in saturated fats. However, either out of habit or a taste preference for red meat, many segments of the population have been slow to change their eating habits as suggested.
Indeed, notwithstanding the identified risks of a high fat diet, the so-called "fast food" hamburger chains have remained popular. These chains are known to offer convenience foods such hamburgers and the like which are both tasty and inexpensive, but which also contain a relatively high percentage of fat. As it would be unrealistic to assume that a majority of the population will cease to frequent these chains, a better solution would be for these restaurants to offer their customers palatable, low-fat alternatives to the standard high-fat fare. Such alternatives also would be appreciated by any "backyard" chef who wishes to offer his or her family meals which are both tasty and healthy.
In this regard, proposal have been made for methods of removing fat from ground meat products such as hamburgers. For example, Margolis, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,948,607 and 5,082,678, describe methods for removing fat from a ground meat patty such as a hamburger which entail the steps of cooking the patty to within a temperature which is sufficiently hot to liquefy the fat in the patty, and then applying pressure to the meat to force a portion of the liquefied fat from the patty. As a third step, a liquid flavoring solution may be injected into the pressed patty to purportedly achieve the flavor and juiciness of an untreated meat product.
Although methods such as those described in the Margolis citations would have been expected to be widely accepted, the fact remains that majority of people have failed to embrace any of the low-fat hamburgers or alternatives which heretofore have been offered, and have continued to dine on the high-fat varieties. Such failures might be explained by the vagaries of the palates of the consuming public, or to problems in the commercial implementation of the previous methods. In any event, it will be appreciated that a method for removing fat from ground meat products such as hamburgers and the like which preserves the flavor, juiciness, and texture of the meat would be widely accepted by those who enjoy such products.